Adventure of a Lifetime
by Rita Arabella Black
Summary: Charlie wants to go dragon hunting in Romania. Molly has a different idea. For 3 days of challenges for Hogwarts On Line Professor Flitwick's Challenge of the Day or something like that


**A/N: This is for 3 days worth of challenges all wrapped up in one. The prompts are ****together**** (7/3) & (7/4) ****sacrifice****. And then there's "She's right you know" (7/6) I'm going for the obvious here. Based on characters created by J K Rowling. Hope you enjoy-Rita**

Adventure of a Lifetime

"That has got to be the dumbest thing you've ever come up with," Bill snorted eloquently.

"Not true," Charlie retorted, bringing his chin up in an arrogant pose. "I've come up with lots of dumber things than this and that's beside the point; I think it's brilliant. It's an adventure of a lifetime."

He shook his head and walked away. "Well. I'd hate to be around when mum finds out. You know I have a weak stomach. The blood splatter alone…"

"Piss off," Charlie answered throwing a pillow at his brother, which he dodged expertly.

Bill and Charlie had always been together; inseparable since Charlie was old enough to walk. They were joined at the hip as Uncle Fabian insisted. You never saw one without the other. But now, Charlie was off on a great adventure without his brother. To be honest, Charlie didn't think Bill would be the slightest bit interested in trekking across the Carpathian Mountains in Romania in search of the elusive and highly dangerous _Three Horned Flying Mangle_r; a fire-breathing flying dragon that tended to mangle its prey (hence the name) before biting off the heads and devouring while the victim's heart was still beating.

The mangler's legend was told to children so they wouldn't wander off at night. Many believed the mangler was only myth, but Charlie was convinced he could find a nest of them high in the Carpathian Mountains and he was determined to capture one.

"Seriously, Charlie, you've got to be mental just to _think _about doing something this crazy. Have you thought this through?" Bill was more determined than ever to stop his brother from his certain doom.

"What's to think about?" Charlie asked, genuinely confused at his brother's attitude. "I go to Romania, I climb the mountain and I bag a mangler. What could be simpler?"

"Your mind," Bill answered.

Charlie ignored Bill's comment. "Come with me then," he said.

Bill shook his head. "I'm not going to sacrifice my young life just to watch you prove what a moron you are. No thanks. But make sure you tattoo mum's address on your arse so they'll know where to ship your body."

Charlie gave his brother a very rude hand gesture and went away to his secret hiding place to sulk. He stayed away until dinner when the smell of his mother's homemade bread and thick hearty soup lured him out in the open.

Molly was waiting for Charlie with a very annoyed look on her face.

"Sorry I'm late, Mum, I was…"

Before he could finish, Molly had a death grip on his right ear pulling him into the house. "What is this nonsense about you running off to Romania?"

"Ow, ow, Mum, that really hurts," he wailed. "Who told you that?"

"A little birdie," she replied.

Charlie looked at his brother Bill and gave him a 'I'm-going-to-kill-you glare', but Bill merely shrugged and looked confused. "Wasn't me," he mouthed.

Charlie was back to sulking but he had to endure his mother's tirade on how dangerous it was and several "over my dead body" rants. How could he even think of doing such a crazy hare-brained thing? What was he thinking? He took the abuse stoically for over two hours during dinner and then after dinner. Even his dad started to look more sympathetic as Molly continued to berate him.

Finally, Charlie had had enough. "All right, mum. I surrender. You're right. I don't know what I was thinking. Forget it, I'm not going."

The scowl on her face turned into a glowing smile. "It's only because I love you and my life would end if anything happened to you, Charlie," she said, kissing him sloppily on his cheek and crushing him into her bosom. Charlie's face reddened and he smiled back at her.

"I love you, too, Mum. But you have to remember I am 15 now, and I'm not a baby."

"I know that," she answered swiping the tears from her eyes. "But you are my baby and I love you."

He smiled. "I love you, too, Mum."

After the family had turned in for the night, Charlie stayed up, staring out his window of the bedroom he shared with his brother. Bill rolled over to face him.

After several minutes, Bill whispered, "She's right, you know, you are a baby," he chuckled and turned his face back to the wall. Charlie hit him squarely in the back of his head with a book on Romania.

Next morning Charlie was gone.


End file.
